


Day 068

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [68]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23074894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [68]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 068

Hugh sat with Paxley and Ruvenna at a table just outside the dormitories for the apprentice mages. They were charged with making sure none of them broke curfew. The mages knew they would be punished if they were caught and so it was exceedingly rare for any to try. Even more rare was the real emergencies where an apprentice was so shaken by their dreams that they became possessed. Usually the most formidable enemy they faced was boredom.

“So,” Ruvena said, “The newest little mage we have, the elf we grabbed from the alienage. How long do you think she’ll last?”

“She was in a cell with an abomination,” Paxley said. “She might already be possessed. Less than a week.”

“I’ll take that bet,” Ruvenna said. “She was all ‘whatever you want templar’ and ‘yes right away tempolar.’ She’ll make it to her harrowing and then turn. She doesn't have the will to resist a demon but the monsters like a challenge. They’ll pay her no mind until we call one.” She turned to Hugh. “What do you say?”

“I don’t like this game,” he muttered.

“Only ‘cause you’re shit at it,” Ruvenna laughed. “The last mage you thought was going to make it asked to be made tranquil.”

“He thinks every mage is going to make it,” Paxley said.

“And I’m usually right,” Hugh protested.

“More mages live than don’t, that doesn't make it a fortune teller,” Ruvena jeered. “Give us a real guess.”

“I think she seems alright,” Hugh said. “She could-”

“A real guess,” Ruvenna said.

“You can’t say you’re not concerned,” Paxley added. “Demons summon other demons, any mage so close to an abomination will turn, it's only a matter of time. That’s why we have the right of annulment.”

“I think...” Hugh thought for a bit. “She’ll opt for the right. She’s seen what happens if a mage fails to resist a demon.”

“There we go,” Ruvena said, clapping Hugh on the back. “You can’t be such a pushover all the time. The robes will take advantage.”

“Like Karen,” Paxley said. “He got scared bad when he was kidnapped and I don’t blame him. But he seems to think if he’s nice to the robes they’ll spare him when they go all blood magic on the rest of us.”

“They won’t hough,” Ruvena said. “Cullen doesn't talk much about what happened in Ferelden but he used to be like Karen, then the mages tortured him for days on end anyway. Best to keep them too scared to fight back.”

“And to keep constant vigil,” Paxley added. “They’re sly. Who’s to say that Karen really came back from his ordeal eh?”

“Not this again,” Hugh said throwing his hands up in the air. “He was cleared by Cullen to rejoin the order.”

“But how wedd did any of us know him before?” Paxley asked. “He could be completely different now, a demon playing at being a templar. It would explain why he’s so soft on the robes.”

Paxley and Ruvena wend back and forth feeding of their shared paranoia and zealousness. Hugh was inclined to agree with Karen, to a point. Keeping the mages in constant terror opened them up to attack from terror demons but it did keep them from organizing into open rebellion. Hugh didn’t have a solution to the mage problem, he doubted there was one, the Chantry had been trying to find one since the time of Andreast and still didn't have a perfect system.

All he could do for now was listen to his ‘friends’ arguing and try not to make them suspect he was too sympathetic to the mages. Meredith had little patience for templars who stepped out of line.


End file.
